Erect, sometimes spreading or more rarely decumbent, often bushy, herb or shrub, with usually several–many stems arising from a woody rootstock; younger parts whitish or greyish tomentose with small branched hairs, glabrescent

Erect, sometimes spreading or more rarely decumbent, often bushy, herb or shrub, with usually several–many stems arising from a woody rootstock; younger parts whitish or greyish tomentose with small branched hairs, glabrescent.

Corolla yellowish to greenish-white or greenish, 4–7(8) mm long, campanulate or tubular-infundibular, divided to near the middle or less, hairy with finger-like hairs on the upper part of the tube and lobes outside, also with a band of longer hairs inside above insertion of the filaments; limb 3–6.5(7) mm across; lobes 5, 1.5–3(4) × 1.3–2.5 mm, triangular or triangular-lanceolate, acute, sub-acute or sometimes acuminate.
Corolla yellowish to greenish-white or greenish, 4–7(8) mm long, campanulate or tubular-infundibular, divided to near the middle or less, hairy with finger-like hairs on the upper part of the tube and lobes outside, also with a band of longer hairs inside above insertion of the filaments; limb 3–6.5(7) mm across; lobes 5, 1. 5–3(4) × 1. 3–2.5 mm, triangular or triangular-lanceolate, acute, sub-acute or sometimes acuminate

All the characters given in the protologue of
W. chevalieri overlap with those found in
W. somnifera, with the exception of the style being 0.5 mm shorter. Thulin too (2002) thought that Gonçalves’ new species was a variable form of
W. somnifera with smaller flowers and fruiting calyces. The species is very variable morphologically and especially vegetatively. Hunziker (in Gen. Solanaceae: 264, 2001) described it as being polymorphic, while Hepper (1991) noted that many herbarium specimens were intermediate between
W. somnifera and
W. obtusifolia, though he maintained them as separate species. Abedin
et al. (in Pakistan J. Bot. 23: 279, 1991) while conceding that the features distinguishing the latter two taxa overlapped, thought that the variability warranted subspecific recognition in the Saudi Arabian region. Brenan & Greenway (in T.T.C.L., 1949) described the occurrence of
W. aristata (Ait.) Pauq. In forests above 1680 m in the Usambaras. Their description of the inflorescences as having solitary or clustered flowers with aristate calyx lobes could indicate the occurrence of this species at high altitudes. However, this species seems to be confined to the Canary Islands, and Hepper (1991) thought that this together with
W. frutescens were unlike the other species in the genus. Since no specimens examined during this revision were encountered which matched the morphological characteristics of
W. aristata, it has not been included in this account.
The typification of this species was discussed by Thulin (2002) who concluded that the Indian locality given on LINN 247.1 is correct despite the protologue including “Mexico” – where it has never been recorded – together with “Crete and Spain”.

The species has been used medicinally since ancient times; it was known to the ancient Egyptians with fruiting branches being included in the floral collar laid around the golden effigy of Tutankhamun. A large number of withanolides and alkaloids have been isolated from its leaves and roots, and there are numerous reports of its medicinal use throughout Africa. In East Africa root extracts are used to treat intestinal worms (T 1), stomach disorders (T 1, 5), thrush (T 1), pneumonia (T 1), gonorrhoea (T 2, K 1,6), irregular menstruation, coughs (T 2, 7), abscesses (T 2), childhood fevers and nightmares (K 6) and male sterility, as an emetic (K 2), a tonic (K 6), a diuretic (K 6), and an eye-wash (K 6, T 1). The plant is used for purificatory rites in U 2, crushed leaves are heated for use as an external pain killer in K 6 and to curdle milk by the Masai (K 6). There are conflicting reports of the edibility of this species which is considered to evoke bad luck especially if cut in Somalia, where, as in T 5, it is rarely eaten by stock though it is eaten by goats, cattle, donkeys and giraffe in Ethiopia. The flowers are reportedly visited by hunting wasps in Ethiopia.